Keeper of the Shadows
by When Forever Ends
Summary: When Aang, Sokka, and Katara find an abandoned temple and find that it is not really abandoned, what will break loose? Love, hate, saddness, or an undecided love? ZokuxOC AangxKatara SokkaxSuki I dont really like Aang and Katara but here is for the fans
1. Captured

**The previews for chapter one: Captured**

Katara has a strange dream where a black figure pushes her into the water. Then a very familiar person calls her name. The next dream she has, this person kisses her. What will she do? Too bad she doesn't have time to think about it because Aang and Katara and Sokka come across an abandoned temple- at least what they think is abandoned. When they are captured and find themselves in an absolutely beautiful room, what will they do? Well, Aang tells tales of a Spiritbender he used to know, and her son. They meet a beautiful girl named Kiara who is called the 'one.' She treats them as guests in "her" temple. Sokka tries to impress a beautiful woman, but fails. No one knows that the beautiful girl is the key to more power than you could dream of- and more.

**Chapter one- Captured**

Aang, Katara, and Sokka hopped on Appa. They had a long day ahead of them, and who knows what it would bring? Each of them were silent, absorbed in their own thoughts. Aang worried that he wouldn't learn firebending so he could finally defeat the firelord. Katara worried almost the same thing; except she worried that Zoku would find them and catch them. He was ruthless to try to catch Aang, for whatever reason he had. Something kept nagging her though, and whatever situation her friends and her were in, the same thing was always at the back of her mind. _How did he get that scar? _She didn't care about him, but it was just her curiosity that was killing her. Sokka, on the other hand, was thinking about something _totally _different. (Take a guess.) Did they have enough food for him to get seconds that night? Or were they running out of food? Katara looked up at Sokka, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She shook her head and fell into an unwanted sleep.

She dreamed about Aang and Sokka. Both of them were falling, getting faster and faster. Appa swayed back and forth, trying to catch them, but had no luck. They fell past him. Neither of them were screaming, and it looked like they were knocked out. Katara spun around and saw a figure surrounded by darkness. An unearthly light was around the darkness. It reached a long arm up, touched her, and Katara was shot out into a void. She looked down and saw Aang and Sokka about to reach the water that was below them, but Katara woke just before they crashed into the sea. In the last second before she awoke, she heard someone call out her name. It sounded like… Zoku?

Aang started to shake Katara. Her eyes opened in fear and she jumped up, knocking Aang down with a thud.

"Oh, sorry Aang," she apologized as she helped him up onto his feet. "You just frightened me. I'm not used to having someone wake me up."

"Oh, that's okay. Sokka spotted an airtemple in the distance. I've never heard of one this close to the north pole, though." Aang replied with a confused look.

"That's strange."

"Think it'll have food?" Sokka asked, but more to himself because he knew that Katara and Aang wouldn't answer.

"I'm sure it'll have food, Sokka." Aang and Katara said in unison. Aang blushed wildly but Katara pretended that nothing happened. Sokka grinned evilly.

"Someone has a little crush," He muttered loud enough for Aang to hear him. He glared at Sokka but didn't protest. _It's not really a crush… more of a little…more of a… good friendship that I want to extend! _He thought. Deep down inside, though, he really wanted Katara. He loved her, and after all that they had been through, Aang thought that they would be together by now. The fantasy hadn't come true, yet, but maybe, just maybe, someday it would.

Katara, though, had someone else on her mind. It was Zoku. Why had she heard him in her dream? Who was that black figure? Why did she fall of Appa? Maybe if she slept again she would have the same dream but Aang wouldn't wake her up. That must be it!

"Aang, please don't wake me up this time. I need my sleep." Katara instructed him. He curtly nodded as he looked at the temple in the distance. She eased herself down and closed her eyes, but it was a long time until sleep claimed her.

This time her dream was different, though. She was in a glass forest. The trees around her sparkled and made loud ringing noises when she moved. Katara looked around slowly and decided that the road she was on would take her out of the forest. For a long time, it seemed, she walked. Finally, she saw an end to the road where the sun shone brightly. As she stepped out of the canopy, she found that she was in a field of red poppies. They swayed in the wind so it looked like the ground was moving. Katara suddenly got a burst of energy and flung herself out into the poppies. She kept running and running, never stopping though the field was great in size. As she neared the center, the black figure from her other dream appeared before her. Just like last time, it reached its arm out and touched her slightly, which sent her hurdling above the poppies. The setting changed and once again, she was falling to the ocean. Katara looked below her and saw Aang and Sokka hit the water with a crash. They didn't come back up. She heard Zoku's voice again, but fainter. As she neared the water, she saw that Zoku was standing on it, his hands stretched upwards as if he were intending to catch her. About 30 feet above the water, she began to slow down. Zoku caught her softly. Katara noticed two strange things about him: One, he didn't have is scar. He really was quite handsome without it. Two, the anger and hate were gone from his eyes. Firebending was a very hard element to master. You had to have concentration and anger. They needed peace too. Little did Katara know, before Zoku was banished, he planned to stop the war, the war that one foolish firelord had started all those years ago. Back in the dream, Zoku was placing Katara on the water, which she could surprisingly walk on (O) and he kissed her lightly on the cheek. (We all knew that was coming) Her eyes opened in surprise and he leaned in to kiss her on the lips. She willingly accepted, first of all, being dream Katara, and also because he wasn't like the Zoku she knew at all. This one was kind and caring. As the kiss deepened, Katara woke up, feeling slightly disgusted and slightly disappointed. She wanted to know why Zoku had kissed her. Was he even Zoku?

Katara looked about and saw that she was next to Appa on the ground. A shining temple was before her. It was painted many colors, the main ones being gold, silver, and black. It was gorgeous.

"You woke up just in time!" A voice called from above. Katara jumped, startled at the sound.

"Oh… what am I in time for?" She asked to Aang, whose head was just visible above Appa.

"Sokka and I were going to go explore this place, but now you can come too!" He called. Katara smiled.

"What are we waiting for then? I'll race you inside!" She challenged. Even with her head start, Aang jumped over her and gracefully opened the doors with his airbending. Sokka lagged behind; trying to finish the apple he was going to eat before they went. Unfortunately, Momo rushed up onto his shoulders and stole the remaining core. Sokka sighed deeply and swung his foot at the creature to scare him away.

"This place is beautiful, Aang. I'm surprised that nobody is here. I don't think that firebenders would find an airtemple here." Katara stated.

"Katara…. I have a weird feeling about this place. I didn't feel it before, but now I can. I don't think firebenders came here. People still live here, I know it." Aang told her. Then he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked when she saw Aang's solemn expression change to a surprised one.

"That statue! It blinked!" Aang said and looked over his shoulder to see if there was another statue. Katara spun around and looked back at Aang.

"Umm… Aang? Do you realize that there isn't a statue?" He ran to the pedestal it was standing on. He looked back at Katara.

"Where's Sokka?" He asked.

"He was right behind us last time I checked. Momo stole that apple from him…"

"And then he ran back to Appa..."

"And then he followed us in here!" Katara finished. As they had this conversation, neither noticed the growing shadows, stretching nearer and nearer to them with every inch. And obviously, that wasn't good.

"Aang, Katara?" Sokka called to the darkness. One moment he was turned away from them, and the next moment, a bubble of darkness was around him. He wished he could go back home where shadows didn't have minds of their own.

"Drop the food." A sharp voice called out. Sokka took one last bite and threw it in the direction of the voice.

"You imbecile! When I say drop the food, you drop it. You don't eat it!" It screamed at him.

"Well, imbecile is just a fancy way of saying idiot!" Sokka challenged.

"I know!" It shouted back.

"You don't even know me!"

"Your point?"

"Look at you hiding in the shadows! You're not even brave enough to come and fight me yourself!"

"That's it!" A woman stepped out behind Sokka and put a knife to his throat. It had a name etched into it: Sierra. "You better listen to me," whispered the woman into his ear, "or I will shed you of your skin, inch by inch."

"Okay, okay," squeaked Sokka. More guards stepped out of the shadows and grabbed him. The shadow suddenly disappeared and Aang and Katara were nowhere in sight.

"We already have your friends. You'll be joining them in the guest quarters." She told him. Sokka's expression went from fear to confusion.

"Guest quarters?" He asked.

"I do not take prisoners, only guests."

"O, joy." Sokka said sarcastically, and they took him away.

"Aang, what happened?" Katara asked when she awoke. She had taken a very hard hit to her head, and forgot what happened just before she was knocked unconscious.

"I… Don't know. My head hurts." He said.

"Finally, you guys are awake. I've been waiting forever!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Sokka! Are you okay?" Katara ran up to her brother and hugged him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This girl told me a bunch of legends while I waited. She said that one of them was real though. I couldn't believe it."

"Tell it to us, Sokka." Aang ordered.

"How much are you gonna pay me?" Sokka asked, greed etched on his face. Katara slapped him on his head. "This is what I remember. Long ago, there were eight elements, not just the regular four. They were: Ice, Spirit, Shadow, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Fire. The world is much bigger than the four nations think it is. Ice, Light, Shadow, and Spirit seemed to shrink away into the terrain until there was nothing left of them, but there are still cities where no one from the four nations would think possible. Ice lived in the middle of the ocean, near the North Pole, creating their buildings and ground out of ice. Light created their cities in the sky out of light which nobody could see. Shadow lived in the darkest places, bending the light even darker if anyone was in sight. Spirit created their homes inside mountains and volcanoes, using the fire and the earth to as a cover-up, so no one would ever find them unless they were meant to. The Spirit nation was the most powerful of all, being able to control what all the nations could control, and more." Sokka finished.

"Is that true?" Katara asked.

"It sounds true to me. I… I had… I had a friend who could bend the shadows at will." Aang said hesitantly.

"What was her name? Tell us about her!" Katara said.

"Her name was Sierra, but everyone called her the Hunter, because she hunted things. She found things for people and gave them back for a price. She called me the Hunted because I was constantly losing things that she would have to find. Once in a while, when she got really mad, she could control fire. I guess she was a Spiritbender. Anyway, she was about 25 and had already had her first child, which she named Aang, after me. He was about three when I last saw him, and I guess he must have passed away by now, but he knew things other people didn't. He could… I guess he could predict the future. He talked even when he was a month old, like spirits possessed him. It only happened sometimes, but when it did happen, it was useful. He told me not to run away, but look what happened." Here Aang let out a small, fake laugh. "He once predicted what would happen to his great-granddaughter. 'She will be the one. She will stop the war that cannot be stopped. She will be the last Spiritbender. She will kill any who stand in her way. She is, immortal. She is, a goddess.' That's when his little thingy ended. When you guys are buying food and supplies, I ask people if they see anyone by his description he predicted one day. 'Black and red hair, black eyes, dark cloths, and a tattoo of a wolf on her left shoulder.' When we were in Kyoshi, somebody told me her name was Kiara. He told me that it meant dark child, and he was surprised that her name fit her personality so well. He said it was… unsettling."

"Aang, she is out there somewhere. He predicted that she will stop the war, that she will be the last Spiritbender, that she will kill anyone that stands in her way, which means Zhao and Zoku, that she is immortal, that she is a _goddess. _Aang, we have to find her!" Katara stood up on the bed.

"Who would believe something like that?" Sokka said with a little bit of a waver in his voice.

"You do, Sokka." Aang said.

"I know!" He shouted.

"But Aang, this woman could kill a countless number of people. We have to find her!"

"I know, Katara."

"Aang, Katara! I think I know where she is! She is here! The girl who attacked me and brought me here, she had a wolf on her left shoulder. She had black hair with red streaks, and black eyes! She was wearing dark clothing! She's here!" Sokka shouted, overly exited.

"Calm down." Katara ordered and he sat down and breathed deeply. A loud knock on the door caused them all to jump.

"Come in!" Aang called. The girl, who the group thought was Kiara, walked in. She looked directly at Aang's eyes, which no one really looked into anymore. Not even Katara and Sokka could.

"You're the Avatar." She stated.

"Yes, and you are a Spiritbender." Sokka said sarcastically.

"I am a Spiritbender." She snapped at him, making him stop his stupid sarcasm and shut up.

"Yes, I am the Avatar. Is your name Kiara?" Aang asked calmly.

"Yes it is. Come with me." She started to walk out with Aang at her heels. Then she stopped. "All of you." Katara and Sokka leaped to their feet and scurried out the door.

She led them to a giant hall. It was black and white, with blue on the ceiling to serve as the sky. A few people came in and set a table down in front of them. A man strolled in. He had a jacket on that was floor length, black, and covered with badges and medals. Clearly, he had a high rank. He curtly nodded his head to Kiara before turning to Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

"You're the Avatar and you are his friend and you are his girlfriend." He said with a rough voice that sounded like it had been covered with a cloth.

"Well, I _am _the Avatar, but she isn't my girlfriend." Aang told him, looking at Katara to see if she was blushing too, and indeed she was. Sokka glanced at them and smiled, wanting them to finally get together.

"Come and sit, then. Avatar, and his friend, and his friend who is a girl," said another person who walked in when they were having that small conversation.

"We will eat and listen to your tales." Kiara said as even more people walked in. One was a girl who caught Sokka's eye. She had black hair and a fine face. Sokka raised his eyebrows. Will Sokka impress this beauty? (Find out next time, in chapter 2! No, I'm not that mean.) The girl saw Sokka staring at her and she rolled her eyes. She would tell him she wasn't interested, but not after toying with him for a few minutes.

She strolled up to him and looked him in the eye. "What's your name, mister?" She asked.

"Sokka… what's your name, beautiful." He replied dreamily.

"My name is Shadow, Sokka. Unfortunately I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I have a life." Shadow told him, watching his face turn from dazed to shock. "But don't worry. There'll be other girls who come along." She reassured, taking a glance at Kiara. Then she took a seat at the table.

"Tell us your tales, please." Shadow said. Aang started at the beginning, telling of his sad past, and of their adventures, just leaving out the part when Zoku saved him. He knew that would always be a secret, but in Zoku's mind, it never happened.

"Wow…" said Shadow after he finished. "I wish I could do something that exiting, but everything here is so dull. Things never happen here."

"That is a wonderful story. Please, tell us of your _real _'adventures.'" Kiara said. The four glared at her.

"I think it was a very wonderful story, Aang. Katara, Kiara can help you with your waterbending, and she can help Aang with all the elements, and she can help _you _with your earthbending." Shadow said.

"Earthbending? I'm no earthbender." Sokka told her.

"I think you are. We'll have to find out! Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sokka's hand and they were gone.

"Well, I guess I have to babysit you two. I'll teach you both waterbending tactics. Only simple ones, though, because the girl can't handle it." Kiara said.

"I can't handle what?"

**End**

How'd you like it? Will Katara and Kiara get into a fight? Or will they have a new friendship after Aang, Sokka, and Shadow lock them in a room together until they sort out their differences. Will Katara and Kiara get back at them by locking Shadow and Sokka in a closet? What will happen in the closet? Find out next time on _Keeper of the Shadows  
_


	2. Passage

You don't get any more previews cause I'm mean like that.

Last time on _Keeper of the Shadows…_

Tell us your tales, please." Shadow said. Aang started at the beginning, telling of his sad past, and of their adventures, just leaving out the part when Zoku saved him. He knew that would always be a secret, but in Zoku's mind, it never happened.

"Wow…" said Kiara after he finished. "I wish I could do something that exiting, but everything here is so dull. Things never happen here."

"Who is this 'Zoku' you speak of? He sounds simple… intriguing." Shadow raised her eyebrows.

"That is a wonderful story. Please, tell us of your _real _'adventures.'" Kiara said. The four glared at her.

"I think it was a very wonderful story, Aang. Katara, Kiara can help you with your waterbending, and she can help Aang with all the elements, and she can help _you _with your earthbending." Shadow said.

"Earthbending? I'm no earthbender." Sokka told her.

"I think you are. We'll have to find out! Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sokka's hand and they were gone.

"Well, I guess I have to baby-sit you two. I'll teach you both waterbending tactics, only simple ones, though, because the girl can't handle it." Kiara said.

"I can't handle what?"

Chapter Two- Passage

"I said, 'The girl can't handle waterbending.'" Kiara glared at Katara.

"Well, guess what, Kiara. I can handle any thing and _everything." _Katara shot back. Kiara glanced at Aang.

"You, Avatar, I'll teach only you. Come with me now." Kiara ordered.

"I'm not going without Katara." He said calmly.

"What?" Kiara snapped.

"I said," mimicked Aang, "I'm not going without Katara."

"You either learn the elements, or you don't. It's your choice." Kiara told him fiercely.

"Aang go on, I wouldn't train with her if she let me." Katara said.

"Are you sure, Katara?

"I'm sure," Katara said, and added a whisper. "You can teach me later." Aang smiled and nodded. Kiara took his hand and led him to a door that had the water symbol on it. For the first time in such a long time, Katara was alone. Then she sighed. What would she do? Where would she go? _I'll explore this place, I guess, _thought Katara.

She went through a door that had a strange symbol on it. Aang knew what it meant, and had the means to warn her not to go through it, but he didn't have time. The door led to a strange hall, with one other door. That door was a torturing device. It led the person who walked through it to their greatest enemy.

Shadow took Sokka through a door with the Earthbending sign on it. They found themselves in a _huge _room, even bigger than the hall they were in. Strange doors were everywhere. The doors were green, red, black, blue, white, and purple, and all the colors were swirling in circles.

"Where do you want to go?" Shadow asked Sokka. Sokka's eyebrows shot up.

"Huh?"

"Where do you want to go?" She repeated.

"What do you mean? We can go anywhere?" Sokka asked.

"No, you imbecile, any earthbending village. I can tell you have had a romance with an earthbender. Was her name Suki?"

"Yes. She lived in Kyoshi." Sokka said, his expression suddenly becoming grim, remembering the earthbender. Shadow pushed him into the middle of the room.

"Shika laria miki Kyoshi." She chanted quietly. Sokka looked strangely at her.

"Sokka Shika laria miki Kyoshi." She said, becoming louder.

"Shadow Shika laria miki Kyoshi!" Shadow shouted as loud as she could. A blinding light surrounded them, becoming larger, then shrunk down to nothing, and Sokka and Shadow weren't there anymore.

Kiara led Aang into a strange room. The walls were blank and the room was small, but Aang felt that something else was in the room with them. Kiara took Aang's hand and, with unknown strength, flung him out into the middle of the room. He blinked and was alone. The walls turned to glass and Kiara was on the other side. Aang got up and pressed his hands against the glass.

"Nobody will know what happened to the Avatar and his friends. I am the new Avatar. The Avatar who will kill the Fire Lord and anyone who is in line for the throne, and I will rule." She smiled evilly. Then she vanished.

Aang looked around and heard distant whispers. Then he felt something, like the coldness of people who had been there before, who had slowly faded away.

Sokka and Shadow found themselves in the lake right outside Kyoshi. Something swam around them.

"Uh, oh…" Sokka said.

"Forget the uh, oh, let's swim!" Shadow shouted as she dived under. Sokka swam wildly for shore. A strong current pushed him towards the shore, and underneath him, was Shadow. _Wait a minute! If she said that she could help me with earthbending, and if she is waterbending, then she can control more than one element! How does that work? Unless she's a Spiritbender! But I thought Kiara was the last one. That means that Shadow's keeping a pretty big secret. _Sokka thought. He was torn from his thoughts when the water flung him up into the air and onto sand.

"Ouch."

"Suck it up."

"Suki!" Sokka jumped and hugged her. She hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek. Both blushed.

"How cute," said Shadow, ruining the moment, "I just love it when lovers get together after such a long time! Sokka, just shout for me if you want to come back to the temple, and Suki, you can shout for Shadow, too, because you'd be great on Aang, Katara, and Sokka's little journey! Bye!" She vanished.

"Your friend is… interesting."

Katara found herself in a dark room. It was decorated with mostly red, and two swords hung on the wall. They were beautiful. She touched her hand to the tip and with the slightest touch, she was bleeding. Katara looked around for water she could heal herself with. When she found none, she turned back to the door she went through, and found that it was gone. Footsteps were coming down the hall. Quickly but quietly, she hid underneath the bed. When the footsteps reached the room, she was surprised at who she saw.


	3. False Hope

**The previews for chapter one: Captured**

Katara has a strange dream where a black figure pushes her into the water. Then a very familiar person calls her name. The next dream she has, this person kisses her. What will she do? Too bad she doesn't have time to think about it because Aang and Katara and Sokka come across an abandoned temple- at least what they think is abandoned. When they are captured and find themselves in an absolutely beautiful room, what will they do? Well, Aang tells tales of a Spiritbender he used to know, and her son. They meet a beautiful girl named Kiara who is called the 'one.' She treats them as guests in "her" temple. Sokka tries to impress a beautiful woman, but fails. No one knows that the beautiful girl is the key to more power than you could dream of- and more.

**Chapter one- Captured**

Aang, Katara, and Sokka hopped on Appa. They had a long day ahead of them, and who knows what it would bring? Each of them were silent, absorbed in their own thoughts. Aang worried that he wouldn't learn firebending so he could finally defeat the firelord. Katara worried almost the same thing; except she worried that Zoku would find them and catch them. He was ruthless to try to catch Aang, for whatever reason he had. Something kept nagging her though, and whatever situation her friends and her were in, the same thing was always at the back of her mind. _How did he get that scar? _She didn't care about him, but it was just her curiosity that was killing her. Sokka, on the other hand, was thinking about something _totally _different. (Take a guess.) Did they have enough food for him to get seconds that night? Or were they running out of food? Katara looked up at Sokka, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She shook her head and fell into an unwanted sleep.

She dreamed about Aang and Sokka. Both of them were falling, getting faster and faster. Appa swayed back and forth, trying to catch them, but had no luck. They fell past him. Neither of them were screaming, and it looked like they were knocked out. Katara spun around and saw a figure surrounded by darkness. An unearthly light was around the darkness. It reached a long arm up, touched her, and Katara was shot out into a void. She looked down and saw Aang and Sokka about to reach the water that was below them, but Katara woke just before they crashed into the sea. In the last second before she awoke, she heard someone call out her name. It sounded like… Zoku?

Aang started to shake Katara. Her eyes opened in fear and she jumped up, knocking Aang down with a thud.

"Oh, sorry Aang," she apologized as she helped him up onto his feet. "You just frightened me. I'm not used to having someone wake me up."

"Oh, that's okay. Sokka spotted an airtemple in the distance. I've never heard of one this close to the north pole, though." Aang replied with a confused look.

"That's strange."

"Think it'll have food?" Sokka asked, but more to himself because he knew that Katara and Aang wouldn't answer.

"I'm sure it'll have food, Sokka." Aang and Katara said in unison. Aang blushed wildly but Katara pretended that nothing happened. Sokka grinned evilly.

"Someone has a little crush," He muttered loud enough for Aang to hear him. He glared at Sokka but didn't protest. _It's not really a crush… more of a little…more of a… good friendship that I want to extend! _He thought. Deep down inside, though, he really wanted Katara. He loved her, and after all that they had been through, Aang thought that they would be together by now. The fantasy hadn't come true, yet, but maybe, just maybe, someday it would.

Katara, though, had someone else on her mind. It was Zoku. Why had she heard him in her dream? Who was that black figure? Why did she fall of Appa? Maybe if she slept again she would have the same dream but Aang wouldn't wake her up. That must be it!

"Aang, please don't wake me up this time. I need my sleep." Katara instructed him. He curtly nodded as he looked at the temple in the distance. She eased herself down and closed her eyes, but it was a long time until sleep claimed her.

This time her dream was different, though. She was in a glass forest. The trees around her sparkled and made loud ringing noises when she moved. Katara looked around slowly and decided that the road she was on would take her out of the forest. For a long time, it seemed, she walked. Finally, she saw an end to the road where the sun shone brightly. As she stepped out of the canopy, she found that she was in a field of red poppies. They swayed in the wind so it looked like the ground was moving. Katara suddenly got a burst of energy and flung herself out into the poppies. She kept running and running, never stopping though the field was great in size. As she neared the center, the black figure from her other dream appeared before her. Just like last time, it reached its arm out and touched her slightly, which sent her hurdling above the poppies. The setting changed and once again, she was falling to the ocean. Katara looked below her and saw Aang and Sokka hit the water with a crash. They didn't come back up. She heard Zoku's voice again, but fainter. As she neared the water, she saw that Zoku was standing on it, his hands stretched upwards as if he were intending to catch her. About 30 feet above the water, she began to slow down. Zoku caught her softly. Katara noticed two strange things about him: One, he didn't have is scar. He really was quite handsome without it. Two, the anger and hate were gone from his eyes. Firebending was a very hard element to master. You had to have concentration and anger. They needed peace too. Little did Katara know, before Zoku was banished, he planned to stop the war, the war that one foolish firelord had started all those years ago. Back in the dream, Zoku was placing Katara on the water, which she could surprisingly walk on (O) and he kissed her lightly on the cheek. (We all knew that was coming) Her eyes opened in surprise and he leaned in to kiss her on the lips. She willingly accepted, first of all, being dream Katara, and also because he wasn't like the Zoku she knew at all. This one was kind and caring. As the kiss deepened, Katara woke up, feeling slightly disgusted and slightly disappointed. She wanted to know why Zoku had kissed her. Was he even Zoku?

Katara looked about and saw that she was next to Appa on the ground. A shining temple was before her. It was painted many colors, the main ones being gold, silver, and black. It was gorgeous.

"You woke up just in time!" A voice called from above. Katara jumped, startled at the sound.

"Oh… what am I in time for?" She asked to Aang, whose head was just visible above Appa.

"Sokka and I were going to go explore this place, but now you can come too!" He called. Katara smiled.

"What are we waiting for then? I'll race you inside!" She challenged. Even with her head start, Aang jumped over her and gracefully opened the doors with his airbending. Sokka lagged behind; trying to finish the apple he was going to eat before they went. Unfortunately, Momo rushed up onto his shoulders and stole the remaining core. Sokka sighed deeply and swung his foot at the creature to scare him away.

"This place is beautiful, Aang. I'm surprised that nobody is here. I don't think that firebenders would find an airtemple here." Katara stated.

"Katara…. I have a weird feeling about this place. I didn't feel it before, but now I can. I don't think firebenders came here. People still live here, I know it." Aang told her. Then he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked when she saw Aang's solemn expression change to a surprised one.

"That statue! It blinked!" Aang said and looked over his shoulder to see if there was another statue. Katara spun around and looked back at Aang.

"Umm… Aang? Do you realize that there isn't a statue?" He ran to the pedestal it was standing on. He looked back at Katara.

"Where's Sokka?" He asked.

"He was right behind us last time I checked. Momo stole that apple from him…"

"And then he ran back to Appa..."

"And then he followed us in here!" Katara finished. As they had this conversation, neither noticed the growing shadows, stretching nearer and nearer to them with every inch. And obviously, that wasn't good.

"Aang, Katara?" Sokka called to the darkness. One moment he was turned away from them, and the next moment, a bubble of darkness was around him. He wished he could go back home where shadows didn't have minds of their own.

"Drop the food." A sharp voice called out. Sokka took one last bite and threw it in the direction of the voice.

"You imbecile! When I say drop the food, you drop it. You don't eat it!" It screamed at him.

"Well, imbecile is just a fancy way of saying idiot!" Sokka challenged.

"I know!" It shouted back.

"You don't even know me!"

"Your point?"

"Look at you hiding in the shadows! You're not even brave enough to come and fight me yourself!"

"That's it!" A woman stepped out behind Sokka and put a knife to his throat. It had a name etched into it: Sierra. "You better listen to me," whispered the woman into his ear, "or I will shed you of your skin, inch by inch."

"Okay, okay," squeaked Sokka. More guards stepped out of the shadows and grabbed him. The shadow suddenly disappeared and Aang and Katara were nowhere in sight.

"We already have your friends. You'll be joining them in the guest quarters." She told him. Sokka's expression went from fear to confusion.

"Guest quarters?" He asked.

"I do not take prisoners, only guests."

"O, joy." Sokka said sarcastically, and they took him away.

"Aang, what happened?" Katara asked when she awoke. She had taken a very hard hit to her head, and forgot what happened just before she was knocked unconscious.

"I… Don't know. My head hurts." He said.

"Finally, you guys are awake. I've been waiting forever!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Sokka! Are you okay?" Katara ran up to her brother and hugged him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This girl told me a bunch of legends while I waited. She said that one of them was real though. I couldn't believe it."

"Tell it to us, Sokka." Aang ordered.

"How much are you gonna pay me?" Sokka asked, greed etched on his face. Katara slapped him on his head. "This is what I remember. Long ago, there were eight elements, not just the regular four. They were: Ice, Spirit, Shadow, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Fire. The world is much bigger than the four nations think it is. Ice, Light, Shadow, and Spirit seemed to shrink away into the terrain until there was nothing left of them, but there are still cities where no one from the four nations would think possible. Ice lived in the middle of the ocean, near the North Pole, creating their buildings and ground out of ice. Light created their cities in the sky out of light which nobody could see. Shadow lived in the darkest places, bending the light even darker if anyone was in sight. Spirit created their homes inside mountains and volcanoes, using the fire and the earth to as a cover-up, so no one would ever find them unless they were meant to. The Spirit nation was the most powerful of all, being able to control what all the nations could control, and more." Sokka finished.

"Is that true?" Katara asked.

"It sounds true to me. I… I had… I had a friend who could bend the shadows at will." Aang said hesitantly.

"What was her name? Tell us about her!" Katara said.

"Her name was Sierra, but everyone called her the Hunter, because she hunted things. She found things for people and gave them back for a price. She called me the Hunted because I was constantly losing things that she would have to find. Once in a while, when she got really mad, she could control fire. I guess she was a Spiritbender. Anyway, she was about 25 and had already had her first child, which she named Aang, after me. He was about three when I last saw him, and I guess he must have passed away by now, but he knew things other people didn't. He could… I guess he could predict the future. He talked even when he was a month old, like spirits possessed him. It only happened sometimes, but when it did happen, it was useful. He told me not to run away, but look what happened." Here Aang let out a small, fake laugh. "He once predicted what would happen to his great-granddaughter. 'She will be the one. She will stop the war that cannot be stopped. She will be the last Spiritbender. She will kill any who stand in her way. She is, immortal. She is, a goddess.' That's when his little thingy ended. When you guys are buying food and supplies, I ask people if they see anyone by his description he predicted one day. 'Black and red hair, black eyes, dark cloths, and a tattoo of a wolf on her left shoulder.' When we were in Kyoshi, somebody told me her name was Kiara. He told me that it meant dark child, and he was surprised that her name fit her personality so well. He said it was… unsettling."

"Aang, she is out there somewhere. He predicted that she will stop the war, that she will be the last Spiritbender, that she will kill anyone that stands in her way, which means Zhao and Zoku, that she is immortal, that she is a _goddess. _Aang, we have to find her!" Katara stood up on the bed.

"Who would believe something like that?" Sokka said with a little bit of a waver in his voice.

"You do, Sokka." Aang said.

"I know!" He shouted.

"But Aang, this woman could kill a countless number of people. We have to find her!"

"I know, Katara."

"Aang, Katara! I think I know where she is! She is here! The girl who attacked me and brought me here, she had a wolf on her left shoulder. She had black hair with red streaks, and black eyes! She was wearing dark clothing! She's here!" Sokka shouted, overly exited.

"Calm down." Katara ordered and he sat down and breathed deeply. A loud knock on the door caused them all to jump.

"Come in!" Aang called. The girl, who the group thought was Kiara, walked in. She looked directly at Aang's eyes, which no one really looked into anymore. Not even Katara and Sokka could.

"You're the Avatar." She stated.

"Yes, and you are a Spiritbender." Sokka said sarcastically.

"I am a Spiritbender." She snapped at him, making him stop his stupid sarcasm and shut up.

"Yes, I am the Avatar. Is your name Kiara?" Aang asked calmly.

"Yes it is. Come with me." She started to walk out with Aang at her heels. Then she stopped. "All of you." Katara and Sokka leaped to their feet and scurried out the door.

She led them to a giant hall. It was black and white, with blue on the ceiling to serve as the sky. A few people came in and set a table down in front of them. A man strolled in. He had a jacket on that was floor length, black, and covered with badges and medals. Clearly, he had a high rank. He curtly nodded his head to Kiara before turning to Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

"You're the Avatar and you are his friend and you are his girlfriend." He said with a rough voice that sounded like it had been covered with a cloth.

"Well, I _am _the Avatar, but she isn't my girlfriend." Aang told him, looking at Katara to see if she was blushing too, and indeed she was. Sokka glanced at them and smiled, wanting them to finally get together.

"Come and sit, then. Avatar, and his friend, and his friend who is a girl," said another person who walked in when they were having that small conversation.

"We will eat and listen to your tales." Kiara said as even more people walked in. One was a girl who caught Sokka's eye. She had black hair and a fine face. Sokka raised his eyebrows. Will Sokka impress this beauty? (Find out next time, in chapter 2! No, I'm not that mean.) The girl saw Sokka staring at her and she rolled her eyes. She would tell him she wasn't interested, but not after toying with him for a few minutes.

She strolled up to him and looked him in the eye. "What's your name, mister?" She asked.

"Sokka… what's your name, beautiful." He replied dreamily.

"My name is Shadow, Sokka. Unfortunately I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I have a life." Shadow told him, watching his face turn from dazed to shock. "But don't worry. There'll be other girls who come along." She reassured, taking a glance at Kiara. Then she took a seat at the table.

"Tell us your tales, please." Shadow said. Aang started at the beginning, telling of his sad past, and of their adventures, just leaving out the part when Zoku saved him. He knew that would always be a secret, but in Zoku's mind, it never happened.

"Wow…" said Shadow after he finished. "I wish I could do something that exiting, but everything here is so dull. Things never happen here."

"That is a wonderful story. Please, tell us of your _real _'adventures.'" Kiara said. The four glared at her.

"I think it was a very wonderful story, Aang. Katara, Kiara can help you with your waterbending, and she can help Aang with all the elements, and she can help _you _with your earthbending." Shadow said.

"Earthbending? I'm no earthbender." Sokka told her.

"I think you are. We'll have to find out! Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sokka's hand and they were gone.

"Well, I guess I have to babysit you two. I'll teach you both waterbending tactics. Only simple ones, though, because the girl can't handle it." Kiara said.

"I can't handle what?"

**End**

How'd you like it? Will Katara and Kiara get into a fight? Or will they have a new friendship after Aang, Sokka, and Shadow lock them in a room together until they sort out their differences. Will Katara and Kiara get back at them by locking Shadow and Sokka in a closet? What will happen in the closet? Find out next time on _Keeper of the Shadows_

You don't get any more previews cause I'm mean like that.

Last time on _Keeper of the Shadows…_

Tell us your tales, please." Shadow said. Aang started at the beginning, telling of his sad past, and of their adventures, just leaving out the part when Zoku saved him. He knew that would always be a secret, but in Zoku's mind, it never happened.

"Wow…" said Kiara after he finished. "I wish I could do something that exiting, but everything here is so dull. Things never happen here."

"Who is this 'Zoku' you speak of? He sounds simple… intriguing." Shadow raised her eyebrows.

"That is a wonderful story. Please, tell us of your _real _'adventures.'" Kiara said. The four glared at her.

"I think it was a very wonderful story, Aang. Katara, Kiara can help you with your waterbending, and she can help Aang with all the elements, and she can help _you _with your earthbending." Shadow said.

"Earthbending? I'm no earthbender." Sokka told her.

"I think you are. We'll have to find out! Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sokka's hand and they were gone.

"Well, I guess I have to baby-sit you two. I'll teach you both waterbending tactics, only simple ones, though, because the girl can't handle it." Kiara said.

"I can't handle what?"

Chapter Two- Passage

"I said, 'The girl can't handle waterbending.'" Kiara glared at Katara.

"Well, guess what, Kiara. I can handle any thing and _everything." _Katara shot back. Kiara glanced at Aang.

"You, Avatar, I'll teach only you. Come with me now." Kiara ordered.

"I'm not going without Katara." He said calmly.

"What?" Kiara snapped.

"I said," mimicked Aang, "I'm not going without Katara."

"You either learn the elements, or you don't. It's your choice." Kiara told him fiercely.

"Aang go on, I wouldn't train with her if she let me." Katara said.

"Are you sure, Katara?

"I'm sure," Katara said, and added a whisper. "You can teach me later." Aang smiled and nodded. Kiara took his hand and led him to a door that had the water symbol on it. For the first time in such a long time, Katara was alone. Then she sighed. What would she do? Where would she go? _I'll explore this place, I guess, _thought Katara. She walked through down the hall, went through two doors, and was in a dark room.

Shadow took Sokka through a door with the Earthbending sign on it. They found themselves in a _huge _room, even bigger than the hall they were in. Strange doors were everywhere. The doors were green, red, black, blue, white, and purple, and all the colors were swirling in circles.

"Where do you want to go?" Shadow asked Sokka. Sokka's eyebrows shot up.

"Huh?"

"Where do you want to go?" She repeated.

"What do you mean? We can go anywhere?" Sokka asked.

"No, you imbecile, any earthbending village. I can tell you have had a romance with an earthbender. Was her name Suki?"

"Yes. She lived in Kyoshi." Sokka said, his expression suddenly becoming grim, remembering the earthbender. Shadow pushed him into the middle of the room.

"Shika laria miki Kyoshi." She chanted quietly. Sokka looked strangely at her.

"Sokka Shika laria miki Kyoshi." She said, becoming louder.

"Shadow Shika laria miki Kyoshi!" Shadow shouted as loud as she could. A blinding light surrounded them, becoming larger, then shrunk down to nothing, and Sokka and Shadow weren't there anymore.

Kiara led Aang into a strange room. The walls were blank and the room was small, but Aang felt that something else was in the room with them. Kiara took Aang's hand and, with unknown strength, flung him out into the middle of the room. He blinked and was alone. The walls turned to glass and Kiara was on the other side. Aang got up and pressed his hands against the glass.

"Nobody will know what happened to the Avatar and his friends. I am the new Avatar. The Avatar who will kill the Fire Lord and anyone who is in line for the throne, and I will rule." She smiled evilly. Then she vanished.

Aang looked around and heard distant whispers. Then he felt something, like the coldness of people who had been there before, who had slowly faded away.

Sokka and Shadow found themselves in the lake right outside Kyoshi. Something swam around them.

"Uh, oh…" Sokka said.

"Forget the uh, oh, let's swim!" Shadow shouted as she dived under. Sokka swam wildly for shore. A strong current pushed him towards the shore, and underneath him, was Shadow. _Wait a minute! If she said that she could help me with earthbending, and if she is waterbending, then she can control more than one element! How does that work? Unless she's a Spiritbender! But I thought Kiara was the last one. That means that Shadow's keeping a pretty big secret. _Sokka thought. He was torn from his thoughts when the water flung him up into the air and onto sand.

"Ouch."

"Suck it up."

"Suki!" Sokka jumped and hugged her. She hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek. Both blushed.

"How cute," said Shadow, ruining the moment, "I just love it when lovers get together after such a long time! Sokka, just shout for me if you want to come back to the temple, and Suki, you can shout for Shadow, too, because you'd be great on Aang, Katara, and Sokka's little journey! Bye!" She vanished.

"Your friend is… interesting."

Katara found herself in a dark room. It was decorated with mostly red, and two swords hung on the wall. They were beautiful. She touched her hand to the tip and with the slightest touch, she was bleeding. Katara looked around for water she could heal herself with. When she found none, she turned back to the door she went through, and found that it was gone. Footsteps were coming down the hall. Quickly but quietly, she hid underneath the bed. When the footsteps reached the room, she was surprised at who she saw.

I've been so busy for... a long time... a year maybe... I don't know, but I havn't been able to update at all. My computers retarded and gay anyway. And school is hard.. I have this HUGE book report to do in less then a week, and my life has been screwed up ever since my friend began to cut herself. So life's not treating me good right now.

Since I forgot to add a disclaimer, I'll add one now. I own nothing... nothing at all... And for Zuko fans, you'll be happy this chapter! I'm adding him in! So Yay!

Chapter Three- False Hope

Katara was looking at Kiara, who had a very strange and evil smile on her face. She crossed the room and picked up the swords that hung on the wall. She then walked towards the door again, stopping only to admire herself in a mirror. As soon as she left, Katara got up from underneath the bed and walked towards the door. After making sure the coast was clear, she sprinted down the hall and found herself face to face with Shadow.

"Hello Katara!" She said cheerfully. A huge smile was planted on her face.

"Oh, hello Shadow. Do you know where Aang and Sokka are?" Katara asked breathlessly.

"Umm... Sokka is in Kyoshi, don't ask about that, and I don't know where Aang is. He's probably still training with Kiara."

"I saw Kiara just a few minutes ago. She was carrying two swords."

"Then come with me." Shadow said quietly. She led Katara to the hall they were in before, then into a dark room. Katara could just make out a shape in the middle. She began to run towards it, but was stopped by a glass barrier. Shadow looked down and shook her head.

"Not again," she whispered.

"Aang! It's me, Katara! Can you get out?" Katara shouted. Aang looked up and walked towards Katara. He put his hand on the glass and said, "Katara, help! Kiara put me in here!"

"I know, Aang! Just calm down! I'll find a way to get you out." She looked hopefully at Shadow, who just stared sadly at the glass.

"Kiara is going to kill him. This has happened before, but only I knew it was her. We must get him out or he will die." She said solemly. It was true, though.

"Aren't you a Shadowbender? Can't you do something with your bending to get this glass broken?" Katara pleaded.

"Maybe, Katara. We'll see.

Zuko stood at the bow of his ship searching the skies. The Avatar hadn't been sighted in days and he was getting angry. If the Avatar had suddenly disappeared again... there would be no way of getting his honor back. But that wouldn't happen. The Avatar probably wasn't gone or missing. Nothing strange was going on.

As soon as he thought it, the ship jerked and sent the whole crew sprawling on the ground. Zuko stood up and turned around. There was a woman, with dark hair and dark eyes... and a dragon behind her. The crew backed away from her and one dared to speak up:

"Who are you? And aren't dragons extinct?" The woman turned to him. Her eyes looked him up and down, then softened.

"Of course dragons are extinct. The only place they aren't extinct is the spirit world." She said. Zuko walked towards her.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"I am no one, here take you to the Avatar. I'm sure you won't believe me when I tell you where he is." She replied calmly, a glint of hate and evil in her eyes.

"Where is he? Zuko shouted at her. No one, especially not this woman, would stand in his way right now.

"Calm down, Zuko. The Avatar isn't going anywhere." She said.

"How do you know his name?" A crew member asked fearfully.

"I have my ways," she snapped at him, "please Zuko, you must come. You will regain your honor and love." She said. Zuko clenched his fists. Though he would not admit it, this woman was frightening.

"Leave my ship and you will not get hurt." He said, giving her his worst glare. She took a step back. A humorous look spread across her face.

"Oh, if I am to go, you are too." She said and pounced at him. Her hand grabbed his wrist and they vanished, leaving Iroh and the crew confused.

"Where have you taken me!" Zuko shouted when they reappeared in a dark room. The girl just smiled pleasantly.

"I have taken you to the Avatar." She said and handed him a knife. "You will kill him for me." Zuko stepped away from her.

"I will not kill an innocent person!" He said, glaring at her.

"Are you too afraid?" she said in a mocking voice, "Or do you want your honor back? You think Daddy will let you go home again? Are you stupid enough to think that things will ever be the same if you do go back? If you go back, your father will turn you away, just like he did two years ago." She thrust the knife towards him. Zuko stepped back another step.

"I will not gain honor by killing someone!" He shouted.

"You will not defy me! I have greater power than you will EVER know!" She screamed, her eyes glowing crimson and shadows growing around her. She was lifted off the ground.

"No!" A voice from behind Zuko yelled. He spun around and looked into the face of a young woman, about his age, her eyes glowing white.

"Stop it Kiara! Killing will do no good!" She shouted.

"Shadow, Shadow, will you ever learn? Our people survived by killing! Our people survived by lying! Its our way of life! If you do not think so, you are worthless!" Kiara said, the darkness disappearing from around her.

"That is not how anyone is supposed to act. The elements are supposed to live in peace and harmony! We are supposed to balance! Ever since the shadow, light, ice, and spirit benders went into hiding, the other four elements have been fighting! Will you understand? The balance is what is keeping us alive! You must stop!"

"The balance? There is no balance, Shadow!"

"If there is none, then let us fight!" She called.

"You will never stand a chance against a spirit bender!" Kiara said. Shadow looked down at the floor.

"I am a spirit bender." And the fight began.


End file.
